On the TrailNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94On the TrailTue, 06 Dec 2016 09:56:15 +0000On the Trailhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org
Jason RosenbaumYou could say that state Rep. Stephen Webber is used to getting questions about how his age parlays with his ability to succeed in politics. While working at the Columbia Daily Tribune in 2008, I was the first reporter to call Webber when he announced his candidacy for a Columbia-based state House seat. He was 24 when he jumped into the race, the youngest possible age someone could be to run for the Missouri House. On the Trail: Webber aims to lead Missouri Democrats out of political oblivion http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-webber-aims-lead-missouri-democrats-out-political-oblivion
54944 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 05 Dec 2016 05:36:10 +0000On the Trail: Webber aims to lead Missouri Democrats out of political oblivion Jason RosenbaumI know what you’re thinking. You just saw a headline that contains the word “post-election” in it and are curling into a ball. You’re wagging your extended finger at this bespectacled reporter, preparing to declare “enough!” As exhausted as you are, politics has a lot in common with Semisonic lyrics: “Every new beginning comes with some other’s beginning’s end.” That’s the type of sentiment that will soon take hold in Missouri, as political types look past this year’s wild cycle and gaze forward to 2017 and 2018. On the Trail: Looking ahead at Missouri's post-election storylineshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-looking-ahead-missouris-post-election-storylines
54794 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 28 Nov 2016 02:26:46 +0000On the Trail: Looking ahead at Missouri's post-election storylinesJason RosenbaumOn the Thursday after his resounding victory in the Missouri governor’s race, Eric Greitens spent the morning at the Missouri Capitol meeting with Gov. Jay Nixon and huddling up with the Senate Republican supermajority. Greitens ended up shaking lots of hands of fellow Republicans who could help make his campaign agenda into the laws of the land. When he stepped into the Capitol hallways, Greitens could hardly contain his enthusiasm about the months ahead. On the Trail: How Greitens as governor presents big opportunities to GOP state lawmakershttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-how-greitens-governor-presents-big-opportunities-gop-state-lawmakers
54732 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 14 Nov 2016 02:59:34 +0000On the Trail: How Greitens as governor presents big opportunities to GOP state lawmakersJason RosenbaumMissouri Republicans Tuesday night experienced their greatest triumph in the Show Me State’s modern history. And Missouri Democrats had arguably their worst night ever. Those two declarative statements may seem like hyperbole, but it’s pretty close to the truth. Tuesday marked the first time ever Republicans won seven statewide elections in a single night. And with commanding majorities in the Missouri General Assembly, Gov.-elect Eric Greitens will be in a profoundly powerful position to enact his agenda – and to sign longstanding GOP priorities into law.On the Trail: Answering the 12 questions asked before a red wave swept through Missourihttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-answering-12-questions-asked-red-wave-swept-through-missouri
54672 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 09 Nov 2016 21:10:15 +0000On the Trail: Answering the 12 questions asked before a red wave swept through MissouriJason RosenbaumMissouri’s long, weird, sad, contentious, explosive and unpredictable election cycle is almost over. In roughly 24 hours, Missourians from Tarkio to New Madrid will head to the polls. Beyond registering their presidential preferences, the good people of our state will decide on pivotal U.S. Senate and governor’s races. They’ll also choose who fills out practically and politically important statewide offices and figure out how large the GOP majorities in the Missouri General Assembly will be after January. On the Trail: The 12 burning questions of Missouri's unpredictable electionhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-12-burning-questions-missouris-unpredictable-election
54633 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSun, 06 Nov 2016 22:58:41 +0000On the Trail: The 12 burning questions of Missouri's unpredictable electionJason RosenbaumNext Tuesday’s election could showcase whether the House Republican supermajority is wave-proof. After the House GOP shot way past the 109-member supermajority threshold in 2014, Missouri Republicans may be in their strongest legislative position ever in the General Assembly’s lower chamber. And since Republicans represent some Democratic-leaning seats, it stands to reason that the party will face a challenge this year to retain the status quo – especially if GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump underperforms in the Show Me State.On the Trail: Upcoming election will put House Republican supermajority to the testhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-upcoming-election-will-put-house-republican-supermajority-test
54576 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 01 Nov 2016 19:36:38 +0000On the Trail: Upcoming election will put House Republican supermajority to the testJason RosenbaumState Sen. Scott Sifton knows a thing or two about high-stakes elections. The Affton Democrat took part four years ago in the most competitive legislative race in the state against incumbent Sen. Jim Lembke. A lot more was on the line than just flipping the 1st District Senatorial seat: Lembke and Sifton were divided on a host of key issues, and Sifton’s victory gave the smallish Democratic caucus more firepower to achieve their agenda. As he runs for re-election in a district that’s been historically close, Sifton sees similarly high stakes in his contest against Republican Randy Jotte. But it’s over an issue in which he and Lembke found agreement: “right to work.”On the Trail: How South County legislative races could matter in the 'right to work' fighthttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-how-south-county-legislative-races-could-matter-right-work-fight
54523 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 25 Oct 2016 02:32:55 +0000On the Trail: How South County legislative races could matter in the 'right to work' fightJason RosenbaumIn the humble opinions of national pundits that monitor congressional races, Jason Kander pretty much came out nowhere to get on their national radar. The Washington Post, Roll Call and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball recently declared that Missouri’s U.S. Senate race was a “toss-up.” And these prognosticators, in general, are very surprised that Kander made the race close. For instance: When Roll Call ranked Kander as the best Senate challenger of the 2016 cycle, the publication called the development “remarkable” for a race “that most analysts considered a second-tier contest when the summer began.”On the Trail: Why Kander's rise in the polls shouldn't be that shockinghttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-why-kanders-rise-polls-shouldnt-be-shocking
54441 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 17 Oct 2016 18:56:42 +0000On the Trail: Why Kander's rise in the polls shouldn't be that shockingJason RosenbaumDonald Trump and Hillary Clinton spent a lot of time during their Sunday night debate dwelling on vulgar comments, leaked speeches, personal income tax payments and tweets of days past. But one thing the two didn’t talk about at all during their Washington University showdown was Ferguson.On the Trail: Ferguson notably absent from St. Louis presidential debatehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-ferguson-notably-absent-st-louis-presidential-debate
54387 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 10 Oct 2016 17:28:28 +0000On the Trail: Ferguson notably absent from St. Louis presidential debateJason RosenbaumAfter a little bit of time away, the national spotlight is back on St. Louis. Hordes of reporters and political types will venture here this weekend for the second presidential debate between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton. This area has a lot in common with what’s forming the national political discourse. Our racial, social and economic divisions were broadcast to the world after Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson. And finding tangible solutions to these longstanding gaps has been a slow and frustrating process.On the Trail: St. Louis' struggles and opportunities should inform Clinton and Trumphttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-st-louis-struggles-and-opportunities-should-inform-clinton-and-trump
54336 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 07 Oct 2016 16:39:38 +0000On the Trail: St. Louis' struggles and opportunities should inform Clinton and TrumpJason RosenbaumMake no mistake about it: State Rep. Paul Curtman is supporting Donald Trump in the presidential race. Even though the Republican from Union supported Ted Cruz in the GOP primaries, Curtman isn’t joining the so-called “Never Trump” movement by withholding his support or backing Democrat Hillary Clinton. But as he watched Monday’s presidential, Curtman said he was dismayed by what he saw as a lack of respect from both candidates to the U.S. Constitution. He was especially critical of how Trump embraced “stop and frisk” policing, a policy that was used extensively in New York City.On the Trail: Sifting through reaction to Monday's presidential debatehttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-sifting-through-reaction-mondays-presidential-debate
54230 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgTue, 27 Sep 2016 18:18:30 +0000On the Trail: Sifting through reaction to Monday's presidential debateJason RosenbaumBruce Franks looked a political machine straight in the eye. He didn’t back down. He didn’t give up. And last Friday, he won. Big. Franks’ landslide victory over state Rep. Penny Hubbard could resonate far beyond last Friday’s unusual special election. In beating Hubbard, a three-term representative, by more than 50 percentage points, Franks sent a thunderbolt of sorts through the St. Louis political community.On the Trail: Lessons learned from Bruce Franks' thunderous victoryhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-lessons-learned-bruce-franks-thunderous-victory
54146 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 21 Sep 2016 16:05:08 +0000On the Trail: Lessons learned from Bruce Franks' thunderous victoryJason RosenbaumIf you judge a successful veto session by how many bills are overturned, then Wednesday’s gathering was like a college football blowout. That’s because the GOP majority was able to outflank Gov. Jay Nixon and his Democratic compatriots in the legislature on more than a dozen measures, including a bill that would implement a photo identification requirement to vote should a proposed constitutional amendment pass and another that makes it easier to conceal and carry a weapon. Unlike previous years, there was little drama – or much apprehension about squelching Democratic filibusters. On the Trail: We had questions about Missouri's veto session. Now we have answers.http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-we-had-questions-about-missouris-veto-session-now-we-have-answers
54084 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgThu, 15 Sep 2016 20:16:56 +0000On the Trail: We had questions about Missouri's veto session. Now we have answers.Jason RosenbaumWelcome, one and all, to the fifth anniversary of this reporter’s “five things to look for veto session” stories. Plenty of things happened since the first iteration of this listicle hit the World Wide Web: Donald Trump became a serious presidential contender, Macklemore curiously won a bunch of Grammys, and “five things to look for” stories gradually aroused the ire of cranky tricenarians living in St. Charles County. On the Trail: 5 things to look for during this week's veto sessionhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-5-things-look-during-weeks-veto-session
54021 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 12 Sep 2016 19:25:26 +0000On the Trail: 5 things to look for during this week's veto sessionJason RosenbaumIt didn't take a particularly long time before the legal showdown between Bruce Franks and Penny Hubbard became a rationale for a photo identification requirement. The disputed 78th District House race became part of the discourse to override a gubernatorial veto of photo ID legislation -- especially after the publication of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article detailing potential absentee ballot irregularities. On the Trail: Franks says legal fight against Hubbard isn't a case for photo IDhttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-franks-says-legal-fight-against-hubbard-isnt-case-photo-id
53912 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgMon, 05 Sep 2016 10:15:16 +0000On the Trail: Franks says legal fight against Hubbard isn't a case for photo IDJason RosenbaumThe prolonged 78th House District primary between state Rep. Penny Hubbard and Bruce Franks may prove that one state representative race can shake up the Missouri political system. But there’s disagreement if that "system shaking" is a positive or negative development for Missouri politics.On the Trail: As Franks-Hubbard saga continues, debate emerges over releasing absentee applicationshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-franks-hubbard-saga-continues-debate-emerges-over-releasing-absentee-applications
53775 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 26 Aug 2016 14:44:59 +0000On the Trail: As Franks-Hubbard saga continues, debate emerges over releasing absentee applicationsJason RosenbaumIf you’ve paying attention to the discourse in the race for Missouri governor, you’ve probably heard a lot about what Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Koster didn’t do during the unrest in Ferguson in 2014. In fact, several Republican gubernatorial hopefuls accused Koster of being “absent” during the aftermath of Michael Brown’s death. It's the type of message that serves a dual purpose of questioning Koster's commitment to law enforcement and leadership skills. (Republican gubernatorial nominee Eric Greitens told a swarm of reporters after he won the GOP primary that Koster “failed to show up and to lead in Ferguson.”) It will be up to Missouri voters to decide whether Koster's actions in Ferguson two years ago were effective. But it’s inaccurate to say that Koster was “absent."On the Trail: Was Koster 'absent' from Ferguson? No.http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-was-koster-absent-ferguson-no
53758 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 24 Aug 2016 21:17:17 +0000On the Trail: Was Koster 'absent' from Ferguson? No.Jason RosenbaumIt’s been less than two weeks since Missouri voters chose nominees for governor. And it’s fair to say that neither candidate wasted much time in fashioning their general election message — or sharply questioning their opponent’s worthiness. This reporter spent the past few days watching and listening to Chris Koster and Eric Greitens' post-primary speeches. And from what the two men are saying on the stump, Missourians are in for a very contentious campaign — and discourse that may appear familiar. On the Trail: Analyzing the gubernatorial aspirants' pitches — and the weight of endorsementshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-analyzing-gubernatorial-aspirants-pitches-and-weight-endorsements
53675 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgFri, 12 Aug 2016 19:29:25 +0000On the Trail: Analyzing the gubernatorial aspirants' pitches — and the weight of endorsementsJason RosenbaumEven before he became governor, Jay Nixon drew a hard line in the sand: If the Missouri General Assembly passed any bill that Nixon felt transferred public dollars to private schools, he would veto that legislation. He followed through on that promise in 2014, when the General Assembly approved changes to Missouri’s school transfer law that, among other things, allowed children in unaccredited school districts to go to certain nonsectarian, private schools. Whether that “line” remains, however, depends on who replaces Nixon in the governor’s office. On the Trail: Would Missouri's gubernatorial hopefuls draw a line on 'voucher' proposals?http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-would-missouris-gubernatorial-hopefuls-draw-line-voucher-proposals
53636 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgSat, 06 Aug 2016 19:55:24 +0000On the Trail: Would Missouri's gubernatorial hopefuls draw a line on 'voucher' proposals?Jason RosenbaumNow that the 2016 primaries are in the books, most people are looking ahead to what could be an expensive and contentious general election cycle. But before Tuesday becomes part of Missouri political history, perhaps it’s worth answering the 10 questions posed before voters went to the polls. After all, it wouldn’t be very useful to throw out errant questions without answering them.On the Trail: Following up on the 10 big questions from Missouri's primarieshttp://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/trail-following-10-big-questions-missouris-primaries
53592 as http://news.stlpublicradio.orgWed, 03 Aug 2016 21:49:38 +0000On the Trail: Following up on the 10 big questions from Missouri's primaries